first airfix model
Discussion
any recommendations for a first airfix model for my 9 yr old daughter?
she's doing world war 2 at school at the mo so thinking a spitfire?
she's never done any modelling and we dont have any glue/tools etc so an all in one kit would be good.
something to do at half term and hopefully bring back some good childhood memories for me too!
thanks
she's doing world war 2 at school at the mo so thinking a spitfire?
she's never done any modelling and we dont have any glue/tools etc so an all in one kit would be good.
something to do at half term and hopefully bring back some good childhood memories for me too!
thanks
If it's the first kit not just the first Airfix, be wary of Airfix. A lot of their kits are very old and don't fit together very well. Check on line reviews and try and find something recent. Alternatively go upmarket to Tamiya or Hasegawa but they are expensive.
Airfix do so called 'dogfight doubles' with 2 opposing aircraft EG Spitfire & Bf109 in the same box. Sounds ideal for what you want but again I think they are pretty old kits so frustrating for the inexperienced.
Airfix do so called 'dogfight doubles' with 2 opposing aircraft EG Spitfire & Bf109 in the same box. Sounds ideal for what you want but again I think they are pretty old kits so frustrating for the inexperienced.
Vintage Matchbox 1:72 kit - Mustang, Warhawk, Hawk, take your pick.
Pretty much the fewest possible parts, no unecessary design gimmicks, invariably good fit, can be had for about £5 on EBay. Also two colours to give some contrast if painting isn't an option. Decals might be knackered on the older ones, but there you go.
ETA these are ones my kids built - Skyservant, Zero, Gnat and Skyhawk. Thinking about it, all the decals were fine, even on the Gnat which was a very rare top-opening box first edition from the mid 1970’s.
Pretty much the fewest possible parts, no unecessary design gimmicks, invariably good fit, can be had for about £5 on EBay. Also two colours to give some contrast if painting isn't an option. Decals might be knackered on the older ones, but there you go.
ETA these are ones my kids built - Skyservant, Zero, Gnat and Skyhawk. Thinking about it, all the decals were fine, even on the Gnat which was a very rare top-opening box first edition from the mid 1970’s.
Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 25th October 11:53
dr_gn said:
Vintage Matchbox 1:72 kit - Mustang, Warhawk, Hawk, take your pick.
Pretty much the fewest possible parts, no unecessary design gimmicks, invariably good fit, can be had for about £5 on EBay. Also two colours to give some contrast if painting isn't an option. Decals might be knackered on the older ones, but there you go.
ETA these are ones my kids built - Skyservant, Zero, Gnat and Skyhawk. Thinking about it, all the decals were fine, even on the Gnat which was a very rare top-opening box first edition from the mid 1970’s.
I recently built the fairly new Airfix Skyhawk. I would say that’s the best 1/72 Airfix kit I have built. Not WW2 though..Pretty much the fewest possible parts, no unecessary design gimmicks, invariably good fit, can be had for about £5 on EBay. Also two colours to give some contrast if painting isn't an option. Decals might be knackered on the older ones, but there you go.
ETA these are ones my kids built - Skyservant, Zero, Gnat and Skyhawk. Thinking about it, all the decals were fine, even on the Gnat which was a very rare top-opening box first edition from the mid 1970’s.
Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 25th October 11:53
robemcdonald said:
generationx said:
Maybe a more modern subject for a young one, something like a Tornado, F-35 or even an airliner? There’s more to life than WW2...
Sure, I’m not sure how relevant a tornado is to studying WW2 at school though. Maybe read the OP?
Go to Hobbycraft if you’ve got one near, plenty of kits starter sets or otherwise and cheap tools etc. new Airfix kits are good, older ones not so whether it’s aircraft or AFVs.
Check out
https://m.youtube.com/user/quickkits
He builds a lot of the Airfix 1/72 kits and uses the paints supplied.
Have a look at this vid with your daughter (my lad is in it) its about kids building models.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pcktkuQU0aA&list...
The Airfix Spitfire me109 dogfight double uses new tool kits. Same for the Pearl Harbour Zero and P-40 set.
Revell 1/76 (not 1/72) tanks are old matchbox kits which means the have a little display base/scenery with them
Check out
https://m.youtube.com/user/quickkits
He builds a lot of the Airfix 1/72 kits and uses the paints supplied.
Have a look at this vid with your daughter (my lad is in it) its about kids building models.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pcktkuQU0aA&list...
The Airfix Spitfire me109 dogfight double uses new tool kits. Same for the Pearl Harbour Zero and P-40 set.
Revell 1/76 (not 1/72) tanks are old matchbox kits which means the have a little display base/scenery with them
Edited by r159 on Sunday 25th October 14:10
Edited by r159 on Sunday 25th October 14:12
robemcdonald said:
Ayahuasca said:
Apart from a decent kit inside the box.....Last one I built had a short shot on the fuselage.
Hold on, we are talking about a kid’s first model, not an entry to the World Modelling Championships. The starter kit is fine, it was my first model for decades and it was OK.
Ayahuasca said:
robemcdonald said:
Ayahuasca said:
Apart from a decent kit inside the box.....Last one I built had a short shot on the fuselage.
Hold on, we are talking about a kid’s first model, not an entry to the World Modelling Championships. The starter kit is fine, it was my first model for decades and it was OK.
dr_gn said:
<clip> if you get a starter kit like the Gnat, which, according to my pal who got one for his nephew, it didn't fit together properly, so it ended up in the bin. Can't remember the specifics of it, maybe intakes or something, but it seemed to be a fault of the design.
Would the design have changed over the years? I made the Airfix Gnat a few times 50 years ago and I seem to remember it was fine. Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff